Stamp of the Month, July

Happy Canada Day!!! I hope that all of our Canadian friends are having a glorious day today!

Have you checked out the new Nestabilities and other Spellbinder designs? Aren't they spectacular!!! Don't forget that the Spellbinder Blog Party reveal has begun - you have until midnight tonight to enter using the link and die information provided on Debbie's blog and until midnight tomorrow night to enter using the link and die information provided on Jennifer's blog. You are not going to want to miss out on entering both of these drawings, especially being if you enter all 14 drawings you will automatically become eligible to win the ultimate prize!

I have been busier than a little bee completing projects for my big reveal on July 4th! I can HARDLY WAIT! Yes, I know - I am yelling - LOL! Sssssh Ellen - it's not your turn yet Ü

So today instead I am going to share the project that I created for this month's Stamp of the Month Packet.

I know, I know - Christmas in July?!? Being that it is always SO incredibly hard to be prepared for the holiday season I decided to put a bit of a festive twist on this month's packet. This card could be given along with your own handmade treats at the holidays, or used as a hostess thank you when you are invited to a holiday party. Perhaps you could even use it as an invitation to a neighborhood cookie exchange. My goal is always to share the versatility of a stamp design and thus the festive twist to the apron. I believe that this apron is one of those stamps that will become SO well used. I like to think about what occasion cards are needed for. With my surgeries and breaks, and... I really was bummed that I didn't have more thank you notes prepared that were "cooking" oriented to thank those who helped our family out with meals.

To begin I made a mask of the pocket area of the apron being I did not want my embellished design to run off on to the apron front.

Eclipse tape is a tool that has been a product I fell in love with years ago. It is one of the best and easiest masking devices on the market in my opinion. I stamped on it and used my retractable blade cutting knife to cut away the part of the pocket I wanted to embellish.

Next I stamped my design over the image. I am showing you my first attempt above so that hopefully you can learn from my mistake - LOL! Even though this tape is extremely thin, definitely thinner than Post-It notes, I find that I still need to us a little extra pressure when I stamp with a mask. If you stamp too gently you will miss the portion of the design that is right next to the eclipse tape as I did above.

Above shows the colored image. I used quite a variety of colors to complete the coloring of this portion of the apron - YG00, YG63, YG95, YG85, R81, RV17, RV19, RV34 and W1. I then cut it out and added texture using the technique I go into more detail about below.

I began by quickly coloring my image using YG00, YG63 and RV19. Being I knew I was going to be covering a portion of the design with a second layer I colored the pocket quickly just to provide color on the inside top of the pocket.

As you can see the color of the green I selected was brighter than the cardstock. Therefore I needed to add some gray to the image to bring it closer to the color I needed. I selected several neutrals and tested the colors on a piece of scrap paper. I found that W1 combined with YG00 was the perfect blend. The picture above shows how I brought the gray in from the edges. Someday soon I hope to learn how to make a YouTube video because that is the only way I know how I could show you how I blend colors. I added a little YG63 along a couple of edges and then came back over top of all the colors with YG00.

As you can see from the back side of this image above I concentrated more ink in the blended areas around the outside edge and I left the center of the apron, lighter and brighter to achieve a "rounded" look to the image.

With each project of the month I like to share something that will be a small "WOW", or that is cool thought. For this one I wanted to show you how you can add texture to the apron and truly make it look more like fabric. This is created using a simple paper towel and colorless blender solution.

I have included this image just so that you can see how I let the solution bleed out. I actually let the solution sit on the paper towel for approximately 15-30 seconds. You want the paper towel to have a damp feeling, but not be soaked. Set the paper towel straight down on your project and gently apply quick pressure over the entire image. I would like to recommend that you experiment on a scrap piece rather than your original piece of art, so that you don't wreck your beautiful creation on your first try Ü

As you can see by this closeup view the texture added is the coolest little addition. I also applied this same technique to the cut out apron pockets and towel.

The piece was completed by mounting it on a basic Nestability rectangle, which was then mounted on the scalloped Nestability rectangle. Using a soft green ink I stamped the Holiday Millinery Embellishment randomly over the cardfront to add texture.

One last tip is to use your Copic markers to add color to regular staples. I was able to add a little more raspberry "zip" to the image by using my colored staple to attach the little ribbon embellishment.

Well I'd best get back to finishing up all those projects I've started - LOL! You should see my work room. I have all sorts of beauties distributed along the length of my countertop awaiting their final embellishments, pictures etc. Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous evening!

Comments

[Inky Button]

I absolutely love the paper towel trick! I could never have imagined it. Thanks for sharing all the details. I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve.

[Julia]

Wow! You are an inspiration! Between you and Mish, I don't know how much more information, as a newcomer to all of this, I can take! I can't wait to try this technique!

[Rose Ann]

This is so darling, Ellen!! Thanks for all of the details!! I really love the dimension and whole concept!!

[Val S]

AWESOME!! Thanks for the really neat idea for adding texture to a stamped image. That is sooo neat!!!

[Morag]

Beautiful! And the paper towel texture idea is out of the box!

[hb]

OMGOSH. You just NEVER cease to amaze me. How does one think to use a paper towel for texture?
Doesn't matter... I just love the way your brain works!!!
ADORABLE project!!!

[kathynruss]

You have inspired me to do something with the apron stamp I've had for a years. I got little stamps of tools that fit in the pockets, BBQ stuff, kitchen stuff, gardening stuff, all kinds of goodies. Only made one tool man card, so far, but now I'm thinking Christmas!

[Joan B]

Another fabulous post. Ilove the way your create darling items and then explain the little secrets behind them.

[Pat (mspfd)]

This is fabulous. Thanks for sharing your design and recipe! Love the texture you added to the apron. What a wonderful inspiration piece.

[Debbie Olson]

VERY clever, Ellen! I adore the texture that you created--great job!

[Julie Campbell]

Oh my goodness! You are just TOO STINKIN' SMART! I love all of your 'wows'!!! So clever!

[Maureen W.]

Love that paper towel technique!! You are too clever!

[Elaine]

This definitely has a new "wow" idea, Ellen! And how cool to make the stamp versatile for Christmastime~! You rock, babe! ;-)

[Peggy M.]

Looking forward to the YouTube video!

[Fjola D]

That's alot of great information! I'm going to try the paper towel/texture method! I start thinking about Holiday cards in July and start making them in September, I recently had surgery so we'll see what I come up with. I'll be back to check out your site on your Spellbinders day.